Jan. 15, 2011

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - For the second straight game, Saint Joseph's women's basketball team couldn't maintain its halftime lead as the Hawks fell to Charlotte, 66-57, Saturday afternoon at Hagan Arena. Taking a 29-27 lead into the second half, the Hawks shot just 27.8 percent from the floor (10-of-36) in the final stanza, while the 49ers hit 11-of-22 field goals and 13 free throws to earn the win.

Up 44-42 with less than 12 minutes to go, Saint Joseph's (11-6, 1-2 Atlantic 10) failed to convert on the offensive end, while the 49ers capitalized on their opportunities. Charlotte used a 13-2 run over the next eight minutes to go up 55-46 on Shannon McCallum jumper with 3:35 to play.

The Hawks, who shot just 1-of-9 and turned the ball over twice during that stretch, cut the deficit to 61-55 with 35 seconds to go on a three pointer by junior guard Katie Kuester. However, the 49ers would not falter at the line, hitting 5-of-6 free throws to end the game.

After a back-and-forth opening six minutes of the first half, Charlotte (14-4, 2-1 Atlantic 10) opened an eight-point advantage, 19-11. The 49ers' Paige McCallum capped a 9-2 run with a layup at 8:41 as Charlotte expanded its lead from 10-9 to 19-11.

Saint Joseph's responded though, using an 18-8 run to end the half and take a 29-27 lead into the second half. The Hawks hit three three-point field goals during the run and finished the half shooting 45.5 percent from the floor (10-of-22), while holding Charlotte to 33.3 percent (12-of-36).

For the game, the Hawks hit just 34.5 percent of their shots (20-of-58), 26.7 percent from three-point range (4-of-15) and 76.5 percent from the foul line (13-of-17). Junior forward Samira Van Grinsven led SJU with a season-best 17 points to go with six rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Kuester was the only other Hawk in double figures, scoring 10 points, while freshman guard Erin Shields handed out a team-high eight assists and junior forward Kelly Cavallo grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.

At the other end, Charlotte shot 39.7 percent for the game (23-of-58), 41.7 percent from behind the arc (5-of-12) and 65.2 percent from the line (15-of-23), while outrebounding the Hawks 47-32. Individually, Shannon McCallum led three 49ers in double figures, scoring a game-high 20 points.

Saint Joseph's travels to Temple this Wednesday for a 5 p.m. tip with the Owls at the Liacouras Center.